A new way of studying the Daintree’s unique tree kangaroo population is reaping rich rewards for researchers of the elusive marsupials.

A James Cook University study has flown thermal drones from a crane placed deep within the tropical rainforest, offering a more efficient way to track down Bennett’s tree kangaroos and study their movements in the wild.

The study found six Bennett’s tree kangaroos in less than an hour, compared with other studies which can take more than a day to spot one.

These included a single kangaroo, a pair and a trio.

Not much is known about the Daintree’s tree kangaroos compared to those in the Atherton Tablelands area, which can be tracked down more easily with traditional methods such as spotlights and hand-held thermal cameras.

“These techniques are less effective in the largely intact Bennett’s tree kangaroo habitat where fewer roads, mountainous terrain, denser vegetation, and a taller canopy hinder detectability,” say study authors Emmeline Bernadette, Barrett Norris and Johan Larson. “Consequently, data are lacking for this species.”

The marsupials sometimes live about 40m up trees in rugged, dense vegetation. 

There are 12 species of tree kangaroo found in Australia and Papua New Guinea, with many of those listed as endangered.

Researchers are aiming to get a better understanding of Bennett’s tree kangaroo population numbers.

As north Queensland’s cane farmers face a disaster of unprecedented scale, CANEGROWERS is urging the State Government to align with other states by assisting growers with the cost of replanting lost crops.  

Widespread flooding from Townsville to Cairns, including Australia’s largest cane growing regions around the Burdekin and Herbert River, is expected to decimate recently planted cane.

CANEGROWERS is working closely with the Queensland Government to ensure affected farmers receive the support they need as quickly as possible.  

However, disaster recovery grants currently do not cover replanting costs – a critical gap that could leave many growers drowning in debt or out of business entirely as they face the prospect of being unable to meet production commitments for 2025. 

“Sugarcane is a hardy crop, but it’s not indestructible. Multiple days submerged will kill recently planted crops, leaving growers with little choice but to start again from scratch,” CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said.  

"In other states, farmers can use disaster recovery grants to help cover the costs of replanting their crops, but successive Queensland governments have failed to implement a similar policy in this state. 

"We lead the country in our expertise in disaster resilience and recovery. But for some reason this policy area is sadly lacking.   

“Disaster recovery grants are only triggered for growers who can demonstrate significant impact and they are crucial in cleaning up farms. But the objective is to get businesses back up-and-running, and in farming that means getting crops back in the ground.  

“We’re urging the government to act now and modify the grant rules to cover replanting so growers can rebuild their livelihoods." 

The extent of the flooding has taken many by surprise, with some areas receiving six months' worth of rain in just a few days.  

Ingham has been hit particularly hard, with thousands left without power and severe damage expected across the region’s cane farms.  

While the rain is easing, floodwaters will take time to recede and the full extent of the damage may not be clear for days or even weeks.  

“Growers are no strangers to heavy rain, flooding, and even cyclones, but this is a disaster on another level,” Mr Galligan said.  

“In the immediate term we’re urging affected growers to stay safe, be patient, and assess the damage when it is safe to do so.

"CANEGROWERS and our members extend our appreciation to the community, emergency workers and government officials who are deployed across the north of our state working to assist us in assessing damage and recovering from this disaster."